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Coordinating the Atlantis Event Abigail Smith
Coordinating the Atlantis Grand Opening Event
Abigail Smith
John F. Kennedy Space Center
Major: Creative Writing
KSC FO Summer Session
Date: 24-07-2013
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https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20140002628 2020-07-18T18:55:13+00:00Z
Coordinating the Atlantis Event Abigail Smith
Part I: Introduction
While working as the marketing intern for Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) Center
Planning and Development Directorate (CPD), I was given the opportunity not only to learn new
skills and expand my work experience under the powerful influence of NASA, but I also was
given the opportunity to prove that I am an individual capable of contributing to the KSC team.
My main responsibility while working in CPD was to organize and run a booth that represented
the entire directorate at the Grand Opening of the Shuttle Atlantis exhibit during the weekend of
June 28-30. This event was important for CPD because as a Directorate that markets KSC's
facilities, technical capabilities and technologies to potential partners, it is important to attend all
events and use them to gain an understanding of our audience. Although we catered mostly to the
general public during this event, it was still important to reach out to the larger space enthusiast
community and let them know about KSC's future plans to become a multi-user spaceport and
that teclmology is still being developed.
Part II: Preparation
In order to efficiently execute setting up a display booth for CPD at this event, I went . through a number of steps. Each one showed me a little more about the governmental machine ,. . .
that KSC needs to operate through to complete even the simplest of tasks.
I started my project by sending multiple e-mails to all of CPD asking for volunteers to
support the booth for several hour shifts. Everyone working the event had to be a member of
CPD since they are knowledgeable about our activities. 'I took everyone that replied to my initial
e-mail and organized them into a cohesive schedule. After several rounds of follow-up e-mails I
still did not have enough volunteers. I asked my mentor for advice and put out a physical sign-up
sheet in the front office, then let everyone know it was there. Finally after two weeks, I had
enough volunteers. I took my list of names and followed instructions to communicate the number
ofvolunteers to the visitor's center, which was in charge of the event as a whole. I
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Coordinating the Atlantis Event Abigail Smith
After sending out the list, I contacted all of the volunteers and scheduled a meeting
in which I could brief everyone on what to expect during the event. I did some research and put
together a presentation for the meeting that briefed the fourteen volunteers on what they would
be doing and saying. I developed and gave them an "elevator speech" to memorize for the event
and I went through each of the hand-outs so they would have an idea on what they would need to
know. It consisted mostly of how to interact with non-NASA people. It turned out to be part
briefing, part pep-talk.
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Another step that I took was creating new hand-outs to add to our repertoire. I researched
and wrote a map that included a brief description of each of the twelve different displays that
were held in conjunction with Center Planning and Development. These twelve booths all
presented different technologies that NASA is developing. This map was handed out to the
public as a way for them to understand what each piece of technology did. It turned out to be our
most important hand-out for the event and was given to every party that passed through our area.
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Front Lobby
Fii : Display map front and back
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I also designed several signs, from which one was chosen to be displayed during the
event. The sign directed people towards our area inside the IMAX Theater. I designed the
slogans and worked closely with the graphics department to make the signs interesting. They
were designed to be similar to the map above .
. Poster for event
The last hand-out that I created for this event was something that I approached my
mentor about. I had the idea for a QR code that people could take and put in their wallets to find
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Coordinating the Atlantis Event Abigail Smith
later. I created a smaller business card size hand-out. It was a new QR code designed just for this
event. Originally it was supposed to be a link to a video that represents CPD and KSC, but after
working with IT, I realized that the video could not be put online in time for the event. As a
compromise, the card still had a QR code but it simply lead to the CPD website and was one
more item people had to get information about us.
Fig4: QR Code hand-out
Part III: The Event
This event took place during the weekend of June 28-30. Friday was a Y.I .P. only night
from 6-10 PM, with over 2,000 YIPs that were expected to attend. That night, however, turned
out to be far from productive. Our booth was placed under an awning outside and there was one
of the technology booths with us. When trying to market KSC to potential partners, these YIPs
could have opened a number of business doors. However, due to several deterrents, we were
unable to have many discussions about partnerships. When we first arrived, the weather was
becoming worrisome and many of the other tables were packing up and leaving. We were still
optimistic about the evening, but when a lightning warning was announced the visitor center
began bussing the YIPs over to the Atlantis exhibit, therefore they did not pass our area. The few
people who did choose to walk to Atlantis had very little interest in slowing down to hear what
we had to say as they rushed to see the exhibit. In addition to all of this, by the second hour into
the event, we were the only booth left standing. Even our technology booth had decided to pack
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Coordinating the Atlantis Event Abigail Smith
up. During Friday night, we were able to talk and give information to only about thirty people.
Around the three and a half hour mark, we packed up our booth and headed home.
Saturday and Sunday both began at 9 AM and went until 7PM. My mentor and I both
arrived early to set up the table for our booth. We set up the hand-outs in an appealing fashion
and walked around the technology booths to get acquainted with what we would be leading the
crowds towards. There were a few booths that caught my attention, so I bookmarked them and
used them to lure in people walking by our booth. The Space Life Science Lab's booth had a
whole array of items they were working on, the most interesting of which was the VEGGIE.
Plant life in space is fascinating and I was sure to use that as a key selling point. The CPD
section was set up in the air conditioned, IMAX Theater West. All twelve of the booths were
ready to "wow" the general public and our head CPD booth poised to hand-out information. This
was a chance to present myself as an informed NASA employee and get people excited about
what Kennedy has coming in the future.
Our booth was set up in the west wing of the IMAX Theater. This meant that as movie
goers exited the theater, they spilled out into our booth. One of the main challenges of working
in this area was trying to get people to continue walking into our section after the movie instead
of moving back outside. One of the ways we pulled people in was by setting up a strategy of
volunteers standing in strategic locations and handing out both maps and NASA plastic bags. It
may be silly but tourists love anything with a NASA logo on it, so the bags were a big help when
trying to get people to come into our section.
One of the other factors that helped get people into our section was the rain. The
afternoons of Saturday and Sunday it poured down rain and when that happened more people
were persuaded to come and look at our booths. Unlike Friday night, when the rain had driven
people away, it was one of our biggest helpers on Saturday and Sunday.
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Coordinating the Atlantis Event Abigail Smith
The second most challenging aspect of managing this event was overseeing the
volunteers shift changes. Every time that a new volunteer showed up for their shift, I would walk
through ~ach of the hand-outs, and then send them with a map to go look at the different
technology booths. Once they were acquainted, I would have .them talk to one of the guests and
deliver the elevator speech that had been in the briefing. I kept my schedule with me at all times r
so that I could see who was supposed to be showing up and when the people present should
leave. Some people were scheduled to work for only two hours and some were supposed to work
for up to six hours. The volunteers who were scheduled for longer shifts were given an
opportunity to go see the Atlantis Exhibit. These breaks, in conjunction with making sure that"
everyone working was able to break and eat lunch were very stressful at first. I had four people
scheduled at all times plus my mentor and myself working the whole day. It was a challenge
coordinating everyone, but seeing as the IMAX let out every 45 minutes; it was not hard to give
breaks when it was slow.
Part IV: Metrics
As a part of this event, CPD was hoping to get information on what are the best ways to
get the attention of the general public. As part of the effort to get out information about
Kennedy's futu~e and CPD, we gave out a variety of marketing materials, including those that I
had designed. With this wide array, we were able to get an understanding of what people were
most drawn to.
Both before and after this event, I counted out each and every one of the different hand-
outs. With this numeric information, CPD was able to gain some metrics and be better educated
on what kind of hand-outs should be created for future events ..
During the Atlantis Grand Opening we handed out five different items: maps with
descriptions of each of the booths, brochures with information about Center Planning and
Development, trading cards that feature six different facilities open for partnerships, QR codes
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.. . . . Coorqinati.ng the Atlantis Event Abigail Smith
with information about CPD's website and DVDs that feature what is coming for Kennedy Space
Center in the future and how CPD is involved in ~aining partnerships. The following shows what
people were drawn towards the most:
2000 -r------1800 +------1600 +------
1400 +-----1200 +------'
• Maps
• Brochures
1000
800
600
400
200
0 Before After
Fig5: Metrics of different hand-outs
Total Given Out
• Trading Cards
• QR Codes
• ovos
With these metrics alone, CPD was able to see that over 1 ,000 members of the general
public were reached during the event on Saturday and Sunday. We were also able to see that
people liked the trading cards and DVDs best. There were other hand-outs that technology office
provided, so we were unable to gain any metrics from those, but one of the hand-outs they
supplied was a large "Spin Off' book. Even without counting, we could still tell that the Spin-
offs were one of our most popular hand-outs. People were drawn not only to their size, but to the
glossy pages filled with interesting pictures of technology and information.
Part V: Next Time
There are several lessons that I learned from being in charge of the Center Planning and
Development booth at the Atlantis Grand Opening Event. Coordinating large groups of people
was something that I had prior experience; however, coordinating a group that consisted of
individuals who are almost all older than me and my superiors, was a task I had never done
before. Being in charge and getting things done how I needed them, yet not overstepping any
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boundaries was a careful line I learned to dance around. Overseeing the breaks given and the
changing of the volunteers was also a challenge, but once I got the breaks timed with the movies,
it became easier to adjust everyone as needed.
If I were to run another of these events, there are only a few things that I would do
differently. For one, I would be sure to take inventory on all of the hand-out items so that we
could get a better grasp on the metrics. I would also be sure to have more trading card, DVD and
Spin Off type hand-outs, since these drew people in and made them ask questions about .CPD.
The last thing I would try to figtire out is a more effective system for counting the number of
people that came into our section. Using the hand..:outs as a rough estimate is okay, but it would
be nice to have a more exact count.
Over all , I found that the changing of the volunteers and working with people who are
both older and more experienced than me were challenges that got easier as the event went on.
Having the confidence to get things done the way they needed to be done, despite who I am
working with, was something I simply had to do, not learn. I feel that if I did an event where
there were not such long breaks in between visitors, it would be more of a challenge, but for this
event it all worked its self out with ease.
Part VI: Conclusion
This experience gave me a great opportunity to test my organizational, leadership and
problem solving skills. All of the steps that I went through in order to put the event together
showed me what working for a government organization, or any organization~! structure, was
like.
I have gained skills that will help me as I leave the academic world and move into the
business world. Both my people skills and my work ethic have been improved from this
experience and I am grateful to have had this opportunity to work on such an important project
for Center Plmming and Development.
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